When Did I Lose You?
by PennyForYourThoughts024
Summary: Aang and Katara were meant to be together. That's how it works, right? The hero always gets the girl at the end of his journey. Aang presumed his love story would be no different. However, he didn't account for the notion 'opposites attract'.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hey all! I don't know about you guys, but I totally ship Kataang. I think it's one of the only parings in cartoons that doesn't seem forced just because they're the main characters. At the same time though, I love stories where Aang finds out that Zuko and Katara are in a relationship and how it breaks his heart. So, naturally, I had to give a story like that a shot xP Stay tuned for more chapters coming soon!**

 **DISCLAIMER: This is a non-profit fanfiction. Avatar: The Last Airbender is owned by Bryan Konietzko and Micheal Dante DiMartino. Please support the official release.**

* * *

"Relax Aang – I'm sure they're fine."

"Sokka, this is Azula we're talking about. I know Zuko and Katara are both powerful benders, but she's dangerous. I would never forgive myself if something happened to them."

"What's there to worry about, Twinkle Toes? You beat the FIRE LORD – there is no war anymore! Even if by some miracle if Azula isn't taken care of there's no way she can take Katara, Zuko, me and you at the same time."

Aang looked at Toph before nodding and saying, "Yeah…you're right." It had been one hell of a night for Team Avatar. Earlier in the day, they realized that they were in for the fight of their lives when they met up with the members of the White Lotus and they parted to do their duty for the world. Sokka, Toph and Suki went to the airship field to try and do whatever they could to stop Ozai and the rest of the fleet from burning down the Earth Kingdom, and Zuko and Katara flew to the Fire Nation palace to stop Azula. Aang himself reappeared from nowhere minutes after Ozai had started raining fire down on the land, and challenged him to a duel which would determine the fate of the world. It was truly a clash of the titans, and in a dramatic twist, Aang defeated Ozai by taking away his bending, thus disabling him from ever hurting anyone else ever again. Now, Aang, Sokka, Suki and Toph were on their way to see Zuko and Katara, who had hopefully ended their battle. Aang was filled with a mixture of anticipation and happiness _. 'I can finally tell Katara that I love her! Oh – well, I'm guessing she already knows that by now…but now we can be together. There's nothing to stop us. I've saved the world, the war is over, and I think she even likes me back…..'_ Aang smiled as the airship started to descend, indicating that they reached the palace.

"Aang, what are you so happy about?"

Aang turned to see Toph standing next to him. Aang said, "How did you know I was – oh wait. You sensed my heart rate, didn't you?" Toph nodded. "Well, nothing in particular. I'm just happy that the war has ended, that's all. I mean, it has been 100 years." Toph nodded and said, "Twinkle Toes, you know I can tell when you're lying right?" Aang nodded and said, "Yeah…I know. So?" Toph smiled and said, "I know that you care a lot for Sugar Queen, and that you want the two of you to live happily ever after, but just remember that sometimes not everything turns out the way you want." Aang looked at Toph quizzically. "Toph, what are you getting at?" Toph bit her lip. She sighed and said "Nothing. Let's go meet the others." Aang shrugged and walked to the front of the ship. Toph sighed as Sokka came up to her. "What's with him?" Toph shrugged and said, "I wish I didn't know." Sokka raised his eyebrows and looked again at Aang, who was staring at the point the walkway would drop.

* * *

 **MEANWHILE BACK AT THE CAPITAL**

Katara stared at the sky, patiently waiting for any sign of a ship. However, upon hearing a groan behind her, she broke out of her reverie and ran to Zuko, who was collapsed on the ground. She quickly brought out her pouch and put her hands over Zuko's wound. A green glow emanated from the spot and Zuko's irregular breathing slowed and eventually became normal. She sighed in relief as she withdrew her hands and said, "I've temporarily patched things up, but we need to get you looked at properly. With any luck an airship will be here soon and we can get you a nice long healing session." Zuko nodded and sighed. "It was a cheap trick on Azula's part; trying to hurt you instead of just focusing on me. I shouldn't have been so overconfident." Katara chuckled. "Well, I'd actually be worried if you weren't overconfident." Zuko looked at her with a befuddled expression. "Aren't you the one who always goes on about always sizing up your opponent and never underestimating them, no matter what?" Katara smiled and said, "Yeah, that's me. But it just doesn't feel like you if you didn't come off a little cocky. It would have shown that you were jittery and nervous. I don't know if Azula would have picked up on that, but if she did, she could have used it to her advantage." Zuko's eyes widened momentarily as he realized that Katara was right. "H-How did you know that? Even I didn't know that, and I was the one who fought her." Katara said, "Well, I've kind of seen you fighting for around a year now. So I know your style and whatnot – like when you're backed into a corner or when you have the upper hand. You tend to notice these things after a point." Zuko stared at the sky without a word. Eventually Katara stood up and said that she was going to go see if there was anyone else around in the city. Zuko nodded and watched her leave through the back door of the compound. As soon as she left, Zuko sighed and tried to sit up again, but failed as pain shot through his body. He groaned and lay flat on his back as his mind raced at a million miles per hour.

' _How can I tell her? Should I even tell her? I mean, it wasn't too long ago that she started to even trust me and consider me a part of the group – to go from that to…well…whatever this is, it's far-fetched that she'll even take me seriously….but even so; I still have to let her know! She'll probably end up with Aang though…they have been travelling together for around a year now, and she probably sees me as a brotherly figure to her…..not to mention the political aspect of it all….(sigh) I'm overthinking this, aren't I?'_

Zuko was broken out of his reverie by Katara's voice. "I couldn't find anyone, but then again, I didn't go far. I'm guessing there's no sign from the others?" Zuko couldn't help but notice the hope clearly laced within the young waterbenders' voice.

' _That could be for her brother – it's not necessarily for Aang.'_

He shook his head and said in a raspy voice, "None. But don't worry – I'm sure they'll be back soon. The comet has almost finished its run across the planet."

"You can feel it?"

"Yeah – the warmth and additional power that it gives us fades away as it gets farther away from the Earth."

Katara nodded and returned to looking at the sky. Zuko gazed at her out of the corner of his eye and wrestled with the idea of just telling her how he felt. Finally, he said in a timid voice,

"Katara? Can I ask you a question?"


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Hey guys - not much to say here, other than second chapter's up! Enjoy ;)**

 **DISCLAIMER: This is a non-profit fanfiction. Avatar: The Last Airbender is owned by Bryan Konietzko and Micheal Dante DiMartino. Please support the official release.**

* * *

"Zuko, stop moving! I'm trying to capture the moment! I wanted to do a painting, so we always remember the good times together."

Katara strode over to Sokka, tea cup in hand. "That's very thoughtful of you Sokka." Suddenly her smile turned into a scowl as she stared at the paper Sokka was drawing on. "Why did you give me Momo's ears?" Sokka said indignantly, "Those are your hair loopies!"

Zuko walked over, keeping the tea tray down on a nearby table. He too, looked annoyed at the photo. "At least you don't look like a boar-q-pine; my hair's not that spiky!" Sokka looked at Zuko in annoyance as everyone else walked over to see what the fuss was all about. Soon various comments on Sokka's picture were flying about, but none of them were positive.

Mai said in an amused tone, "I look like a man." Suki asked why he painted her firebending, to which Sokka replied that he thought that it looked more exciting that way. Even Momo got into the act, jumping on top of the table and chattering at Sokka. "Oh, you think you can do a better job, Momo?" Aang chuckled and walked over to the table. "Come on guys, I'm sure it's not that ba-" He then saw the actual artwork and he grimaced. "Sokka, whoever told you can draw was clearly high on cactus juice – this looks NOTHING like any of us." Everyone laughed as Sokka glared at the Avatar and exclaimed, "I don't expect any of you to understand my intricate artwork! It's beyond your powers of comprehension" Sokka smiled smugly as he continued to draw.

 _Hem-hem_

Everyone turned to face Toph, who said in a loud voice, "I think you all look PERFECT!" Sokka's face broke out into a smile and he said happily, "See? Now there's someone who genuinely appreciates true tal-" His face fell as he realized who he was talking about. He turned to Toph and said, "You're dead to me." in a deadpan voice. The gang burst out in laughter as Sokka stormed away. Suki sighed and said, "I'd better make sure he doesn't kill himself over this." She stood up and followed him. The rest of the group silently drank their tea, the only sound emerging from Iroh's tsungi horn. As the gentle melody washed over the gang, Aang caught himself looking at Katara more and more often.

' _She looks so beautiful – come on Aang, just tell her you love her already! There's nothing to stop you. The war is over, and everyone's safe!'_

Katara noticed Aang looking at her funnily. She shifted uncomfortably and was about to ask Aang what he was looking at when suddenly, Zuko stood up. Everyone's eyes turned to the Fire Lord as he removed his apron calmly and strolled out onto the balcony. Aang said in a low voice, "What's up with him?" Katara sighed and said, "I'll talk to him." She stood up and followed Zuko out of the tea shop." Aang watched her leave before sighing and facing Toph, Mai and Iroh, who had stopped playing the tsungi horn.

"You said it to her yet, Twinkle Toes?"

Aang stared in shock at Toph, who casually kept her tea cup down and looked in Aang's direction, expecting a response. Aang said hesitantly, "W-What are you talking about, Toph?" He looked at her long and hard, hoping she'd get the message. Mai leaned forward, interested. "It's Katara, isn't it? You like her."

Silence filled the tea shop. Aang looked around and narrowed his eyes. "So….no one is going to react to that?" Mai shrugged and said, "Why should we? Everyone knew about it – it was just a matter of when you two were going to get together." Aang looked at Iroh and said, "You knew too?" Iroh chuckled. "I knew it from the time I saw you hug her after we found her and Zuko when they were imprisoned under Ba Sing Se. It honestly wasn't that hard to figure out."

"What wasn't honestly that hard to figure out?" Sokka said as he sat down at the table, Suki in tow. Mai said, "Oh we're just discussing Aang's intense love for your sister." Sokka looked flabbergasted for a second before bursting out in laughter.

Aang narrowed his eyes as Sokka struggled to hold it in. "I'm sorry I ever said that you had no sense of humor, Mai – that was a REALLY good one! You have any more jokes like that?" Iroh said, "It's no joke, Sokka. She's serious." This seemed to shut down Sokka's vocal cords as he slowly stopped laughing, the grin on his face being replaced by a wide eyed look of shock. However, he shook his head and said, "Nah – Iroh, I see you're trying to continue the joke, but it's just too ludicrous. Let's just ASSUME for your sake that you're being serious about this – I mean, this is Aang and Katara we're talking about here. They can't be together!"

"Why not?"

Sokka stared, utterly nonplussed at Suki. "How can you think they can be together?" Suki shrugged, "I can't explain it, Sokka. But I do know that when love is real, it finds a way." Aang realized that what Suki said was exactly what Roku said to him when he showed him the history between Fire Lord Sozin and himself. He smiled at Suki and said, "I couldn't agree more. In fact, I was going to tell her today."

"So what are you waiting for, Twinkles? Go get her!"

Aang looked at Toph in surprise. "What – you mean right now?" Toph nodded. "Do you see a better time? Besides, you were going to do it today anyway, right? Might as well, considering the view and all that." Aang's face slowly broke into a grin as he realized that Toph was absolutely right. He stood up and said, "All right – here goes nothing." Toph flashed him a thumbs up and Suki said, "Good luck, Aang – I'm sure she'll feel the same way." Aang beamed at her at strode out of the tea shop.

The first thing Aang noticed was the beautiful sunset that was slowly enveloping the city. He felt the warmth of the sun wash over him but also fade away at the same time. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He immediately heard voices next to him. _'That's probably Katara and Zuko talking. I'll just wait until they finish talking before talking to Katara.'_ He walked over, a happy feeling blossoming in his chest.

* * *

UNKNOWN POV

"Are you sure about this? Someone might hear us, or worse, see us!"

"Don't worry – all of them are distracted now. It may be our only chance for a long time!"

"Well, we can wait a little longer right? Maybe a safer time – not know when we could be found out at any given moment?"

"Come on, you know you want to. Everything will be fine – trust me."

"…(sigh) fine, but just once. We can't afford for this to become public yet."

I leaned in, a maelstrom of emotions whirling inside me. However, just before we did it, I heard footsteps and a voice that sounded so shocked and heartbroken I had to lean away. What I saw made my heart collapse on itself with guilt.

"Katara? What are you doing?"


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Hey guys! So third chapter is FINALLY here xP I can't say for sure when the fourth one will be up because mid semesters are coming soon and I have to study :/ But I'll try to write as frequently as possible, so stay tuned for more! Oh, and I had Iroh quote Rabindranath Tagore in this chapter. Beautiful quote :') Anyway, on with the story!**

 **DISCLAIMER: This is a non-profit fanfiction. Avatar: The Last Airbender is owned by Bryan Konietzko and Micheal Dante DiMartino. Please support the official release.**

* * *

"Aang, it's not what it looks like."

"Oh really? Because I think it looks like you were about to kiss Zuko. So are you telling me that it wasn't that?!"

Katara remained silent as the airbender sighed and shook his head. "I just….I don't understand. You and Zuko….you guys hated each other! – you never worked to include him in anything we did, even going so far as to not heal him after a training accident! What could have changed? I know he helped you get closure for your mother's death and that you're probably thankful for that and yeah you guys had a very traumatic battle against Azula but that doesn't mean that you two can just-"

"Aang!"

Aang stopped his rapid speech and turned to Zuko, who put his hand on Katara's shoulder and said in a calm voice, "A lot has happened since then. The things you're talking about are all in the past. Now, Katara and I-"

Aang suddenly shouted, "No! It's supposed to be **me** and her!" His voice flared up and this tattoo glowed briefly as a gust of wind flared around him. However, the white glow faded and he closed his eyes as he took a deep breath. Both Katara and Zuko stepped back, shocked at his outburst. Katara's eyes shimmered with tears as she reached out to comfort him. He turned away and said in a solemn voice, "I need to be alone right now – do not follow me. It's all I can muster to hold back the Avatar State right now – I don't want to hurt any of you." Katara sobbed and said, "Aang wait – at least let us explain!"

Aang looked at Katara and Zuko with sad eyes. "I don't think there's much to explain. You chose him. That's all there is to it." He strode back inside the tea shop, retrieved his staff, and flew away. Katara watched his figure become nothing more than a dot in the distance, still pondering the ramifications of her choice.

"Guys, what the hell happened? Aang just walked in and got his staff and –" Sokka stopped talking as he noticed Katara and Zuko were alone. "Where's Aang?" Katara merely shook her head as Zuko held her close to him and said, "He….said he needed to think. Maybe we should go inside – you guys need the whole story." Katara looked at him in alarm. "Now?! Are you kidding me?! Zuko, this can't be the right time –"

Zuko looked at the skyline where Aang had flown away. "Judging by the circumstances, I don't think there's a better time than now."

"Wait wait wait – WHAT?!"

Katara sighed, getting slightly annoyed at her brother's exaggerated surprise reaction. "Sokka, we've explained this at least 3 times by now – what's so shocking about it?" Sokka said, "Well, excuse me for being surprised that my sister is getting all lovey dovey with the Fire Lord, who also happened to be our arch enemy once! And wait – Zuko, aren't you dating Mai? What's up with that?!"

Mai sighed "Zuko and I aren't dating anymore. We agreed that we just weren't right for each other. I guess it worked out well for everyone…..well, almost everyone." Katara winced at Mai's words as she remembered the torn expression on Aang's face as she saw her and Zuko about to kiss. Suki said hesitatingly, "I think all of us want to know exactly how this happened…..because right now my head doesn't seem to be working." Everyone else nodded and looked expectantly at the couple, expecting a story. Katara and Zuko exchanged glances, and after Katara nodded, Zuko said, "It happened right after we beat Azula…"

* * *

AT THE CAPITAL

"Katara, can I ask you a question?"

Katara turned towards Zuko and said, "Sure – what is it?"

"Have you ever been in love?"

Katara stiffened at the question. She said in a slow voice, "Umm….I…..I don't know. Why do you ask?" Zuko sighed, his hopes crushed. "Nothing. Forget I said that." Katara narrowed her eyes and said, "No – you asked for a reason. Do you need advice on Mai?" Katara grinned devilishly as Zuko blushed and turned his head away. "N-No! Of course not!" Katara chuckled and said, "Then what is it?"

Zuko sighed and turned to look at the sky, which was now returning to its natural colour as Sozin's Comet passed over the Earth. "There's…this girl. I kind of like her. But I'm not sure how to tell her that I like her." Katara turned towards Zuko with an expression of genuine interest. "I'm really not the one to be giving out romantic advice, but tell me about it." Upon looking at Zuko's confused face she asked, "What?"

"You're NOT good at romantic advice? You practically have a boyfriend waiting for you in an airship that's flying towards us."

Katara gasped as she realized what he meant. She lowered her eyes and turned away from Zuko. "Aang and I…..well…I don't know. Do I like him? Yeah, I think he's terrific! But…I'd be lying if I said that I would want to get into a relationship with him…" A small feeling of hope blossomed in Zuko's chest. _'So…does this mean that I have a shot? Pssht – please! Don't get ahead of yourself, Zuko. Even if she doesn't want Aang, she'll probably not want you either.'_ Katara shook her head and said, "But enough about me – let's hear about you. So you like this girl, huh?"

Zuko nodded. "She's smart, pretty, and she's a very powerful bender. One of the best I've seen. I value her friendship a lot so I'm scared of ruining that by asking her to take things further. Besides, I don't even think that she likes me back." Katara scoffed. Zuko, bewildered, looked at her and said, "Was it something I said?"

Katara said, "No, it's just that I don't get why this girl WOULDN'T like you. I mean, you're Prince Zuko! Or I guess now I should say Fire Lord Zuko, but whatever! The point is, you're an amazing person who battled through so much pain and strife to get to where you are now. You're an amazing firebender and to be very honest Zuko, you're quite handsome. Girls must have been drooling over you in the Fire Nation." Katara blushed slightly as she said the last line, as did Zuko.

"So…you really think I should tell her?"

"Yeah – I think the chance is worth taking. How scary can it be?"

Zuko looked at her once, long and hard, before nodding. "..…All right. Thanks, Katara." Katara grinned and said, "So, when're you going to do it?" Zuko looked her in the eye and said with a small smile, "I just did."

* * *

"And then what?"

"And then I realized that what I wanted was lying down right in front of me."

"So that's it? You guys just…..became a thing?!"

"Sokka, it's not rocket science, its love, and we didn't just 'become a thing.' We had obviously spent a lot of time together before, so naturally, this happened. Suki, how in the WORLD do you stand this guy?"

Suki chuckled as Sokka looked at his sister with the evil eye. Toph said, "Now I guess it all makes sense." Everyone turned to her in confusion. Toph rolled her eyes and said, "Katara and Zuko hung out A LOT more after they returned from their mission. Doing dishes together, taking long walks, and even discussed how to train Aang! Honestly, I should have seen this one coming." Suki nodded. "Now that you mention it….you're right."

Iroh sighed. "I'm happy for you two, but there is still something that needs to be resolved. Katara, you knew that Aang had feelings for you, yet you waited until he saw for himself what had transpired. That wasn't very wise of you." Katara sighed as guilt crushed her. Iroh continued, "You need to set this right. Go find Aang and explain the situation to him. I'm sure he will eventually understand, but I can make no promises as to how long it will take for him." Katara nodded and she stated in a firm voice, "I'm going on Appa. Zuko, are you co-"

She stopped as she saw Zuko shake his head. "Aang won't talk freely when I'm there. This has to be just you." He squeezed her hand and said softly, "I know you're worried, but you'll be fine. He's your best friend. He'll understand."

 _'My best friend…..in this case, that could be the problem…..'_ , Katara thought as she sighed and nodded. She climbed onto Appa and said to herself, "I know where he'll be...at least, I think I do. Let's go Appa, yip-yip!" With a roar, Appa flew into the air and set off. Back on the ground, Mai said, "Do you really think Aang will understand? He'll be devastated." Iroh sighed.

"Yes, he will be. The heart works in mysterious ways; logic and reason are slow to penetrate it. We cling with both arms to false hope, refusing to believe in the weightiest proofs against it, embracing it with all our strength. In the end it escapes, ripping our veins and draining our heart's blood; until, regaining consciousness, we rush to fall into snares of delusion all over again."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey guys! So after a VERY VERY long gap, I'm back with the 4th chapter! To tell the truth...I feel that this story is a little bit of a head scratcher. I haven't given it the time I feel it deserves and for that, I sincerely apologize. So for now, this will be the last update for it. I will rewrite this story in a more complete fashion sometime in the future, when I rethink the plot and all that to make it more concrete. Don't worry, because you'll still see stories in other categories from me! Again, I apologize to the people who really liked this story, but all good things come to those who wait ;) So without further ado, here's the fourth and (temporary) final chapter.**

 **DISCALIMER:** **This is a non-profit fanfiction. Avatar: The Last Airbender is owned by Bryan Konietzko and Micheal Dante DiMartino. Please support the official release.**

* * *

The city of Ba Sing Se looked absolutely breathtaking from the sky. The evening sun glinted off the rooftops, basking the city in a warm glow. Children played throughout the streets, vendors were happily selling their goods and business in the Upper Ring was flourishing. Katara smiled a bit as she looked down on the intricate roads that made up the city. However, her smile was soon replaced with a frown as she remembered why she was flying around in the first place. She looked all around for any sign of the Avatar, but there was none. She sighed and said, "What am I going to do Momo? Do I have to choose between Aang and Zuko?"

The lemur simply looked back at her with a blank expression. Katara chuckled softly and said, "I guess this is a sure sign that I've gone crazy, huh; asking a lemur for romantic advice." She looked over to her right, where the Earth King's palace was. As she gazed sadly at the huge building, a patch of rubble next to the palace caught her eye. She told Appa to land, and upon landing and inspecting the rubble, grinned in satisfaction ' _Aang opened a pathway to the crystal catacombs here – figures; he probably wanted a place where no one would find him.'_

' **But you did.'** , a nagging voice in Katara's head said. **'You knew where to find him when no one else would. What does that tell you?'**

Katara blocked out the voice and returned her focus to the problem at hand. _'How can I get inside? Aang obviously used earthbending to enter the catacombs. There's no way my waterbending can cut through solid rock….what do I do?'_ She thought for a minute before shaking her head and saying, "I've got squat – I guess I'll fly back and get Toph or somethi-"

"Hey, who's there?!"

Katara gasped as he her hand automatically went to her water pouch, readying her instincts for battle. An elderly man had just rounded the corner of the palace and was staring at her. Katara's entire body tensed, ready to strike at any moment. However, as the man strode towards her, she recognized him and dropped her battle stance. "General How? Is that you?"

The man stopped in his tracks. "That voice…..Katara?" Katara smiled and said, "General, it's good to see you. I see the war hasn't roughed you up." How walked towards Katara and said with a smile, "Yes, it would seem so. So, what brings you to the palace? Do you need to see the Earth King?" Katara shook her head and instead pointed to the ground. "I think Aang's in there, and I need to talk to him urgently. Could you please earthbend an opening so that I can go in after him?" How stroked his beard and said, "All right – but why is Aang in there in the first place? Is he in trouble?" Katara sighed and said, "Yeah….you could say that." How nodded and told Katara to stand back. He stomped his foot down and moved his hands in a parting motion. The ground gave way, revealing a pathway that descended into the underground. Katara thanked the general before starting down the dark path.

* * *

As she walked, taking special care not to slip, she thought about what she was going to say to Aang. She knew that she loved Zuko, and yet there was a lingering feeling in her head that wouldn't leave her – a feeling that involved a certain airbender. The image of Aang's face as he looked at her and Zuko was burned into her memory. Guilt bubbled up inside her as she recalled how Aang looked back at the two of them before he flew off. 'What have I done..?', Katara thought to herself as she continued to walk towards the light.

Eventually she reached the end of the tunnel, and the green glow of the crystal catacombs surrounded her. Immediately, her mind flashed back to the last time she was here, fighting against Zuko and Azula and at least 55 Dai Lee agents. She remembered that crushing moment which sent her into a spiral of fear and horror – Aang getting shot by Azula in the Avatar State. She shook the memories from her mind as she searched for any sign of Aang.

Finally she came to the spot where the aforementioned battle actually took place. The water was still fresh, the blue colour providing some sort of comfort for Katara. Straight ahead, surrounded by crystals, sat the last airbender. His back was turned to her, but he seemed to know she was there, for he let out a sigh and said in a low voice, "Why did you come here?"

"I….came to talk, I guess."

"About?"

Katara flinched at the cold tone in Aang's voice. She felt a bead of sweat trickle down her forehead and she said, "Well….about….recent events."

"Right. What do you have to say?"

Katara sighed and said, "Aang…I hate seeing you like this. Please try to understand…Zuko and I have something special…we….we connect with each other! It's something I haven't truly felt with anyone in a long time, and…..I really feel happy when I'm with him." Aang said nothing as Katara's words hung in the air. Katara sat down in front of the crystals Aang surrounded himself with and said, "I….I should have told you. I know it was stupid of me to keep it a sec-"

"This isn't how it's supposed to go, is it?"

Katara stared at Aang, bewildered. "Umm…what?"

Aang turned around to face Katara, a deadpan expression on his face. "This isn't how romance stories are supposed to go. Can't say I've read too many, but I know the general gist." Katara looked at Aang with an expression of confusion. "Aang, what are you talking about?"

"The hero always gets the girl. Isn't that how all these stories go? After defeating a great evil, the hero finally realizes that the girl of his dreams loves him just as much as he loves her, and they spend the rest of their lives together. Does this sound familiar to you?"

"Well….yeah, I guess."

Aang scoffed and smiled sadly. "I guess I thought that my story would end the same way. Everything seemed to be falling in line." He looked at her with a confused expression, "Why did you lead me on?"

Katara stepped back, a little taken aback by Aang's statement. "L-Lead you on? What are you talking about?"

"We kissed at the invasion. I kissed you and YOU kissed me back! I figured that it meant that you did have feelings for me. I get why you reacted the way you did after the play, I was being an idiot, but….." Aang let his voice hang in the air as he turned away from Katara, his voice breaking. "I love you…..I thought we would have our happily ever after. But I guess I was wrong."

Katara felt the tears escape her eyes as she watched her best friend tear himself apart. She tried to speak but found that no words would come out of her mouth. Aang stood up and said in a tired voice, "I respect your decision, Katara…even if its not the one I want. But I don't think I can be around you or Zuko now. I need some time alone." He swiftly walked past her when Katara said in a soft voice, "I'm sorry…." Aang stiffened and stopped in his tracks. His back was turned to her, but if he turned around, he would have seen Katara's tear stricken face look at him with an expression of sorrow and guilt. Aang simply said,

"Don't apologize for loving him and not loving me. If you're happy…then I'll try to be happy too. I won't be around for a while…so…for now, this is goodbye…I'll come back when the time is right." He walked out of the catacombs, leaving Katara to contemplate the weight of her decision.


End file.
